In a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process system, or a dry etching process system, for example, as a semiconductor manufacturing process system, a QC (Quality Control) operation is carried out. In the QC operation, a maintenance of a wafer processing device is carried out, when a process for a predetermined number of wafers is completed. After the maintenance is carried out, it is confirmed whether a number of foreign matters (dust, contamination) in the CMP device falls within a predetermined range or not.
In the conventional semiconductor manufacturing process system, the maintenance and the QC control are carried out by a different operator, in general. The operator for the maintenance is in touch with the operator carrying out the QC operation after the maintenance operation. Therefore, a waiting time might be generated before the start of the QC operation. In order to start the wafer processing device after the completion of the QC operation, a user has to wait for a judgment by an expert operator as to whether or not the process result of the QC operation satisfies a condition sufficient for starting the device. Therefore, a waiting time might also be generated before and after the judgment by the expert operator after the completion of the QC operation.